The job requirements for a waste receptacle are pretty cut-and-dried: they collect trash. Still, not every facility can or should have the same type of receptacle as the next one. Every facility — hospitals, schools and apartment buildings included — has a unique set of requirements that its waste receptacles must meet to be effective. Therefore, a number of questions must be asked before outfitting a facility with the proper receptacles. Once a distributor sales rep has the answers, he or she can make educated suggestions for each customer.

Selling: A Serious Business
Strategy is key for jan/san salespeople. You may win an account without a strategy, but that’s called luck. And salespeople, as they say, are paid to make their own luck. The key to success lies in having an effective sales strategy in place — a strategy that deploys resources in a way that brings your strength to bear on the competition’s weaknesses.

So, what information and strategies do sales reps need to better sell these very utilitarian, but non-sexy items to customers? It pays to know the customer, and know the product.

For instance, as an infection-control measure, health care facilities require hands-free, step-on red containers labeled “hazardous waste.” The containers are especially common in nurse’s stations, according to Ron Grahf, sales manager for Bear Distribution in Rockford, Ill.

“However, I find in some cases that these facilities don’t use the proper disposal receptacles because of the expense. Some use an office container and insert a clear bag for everything, which can include human waste. In those cases, I have some serious discussions with them. It does help at times. But now, with the threat of SARS and flu, most facilities people are growing more concerned and better educated.”

Grahf says there’s an obvious need for special liners for hospitals. But in his experience, hospital purchasing personnel don’t normally order the correct liners when they order their receptacles.

Restaurant customers are now moving toward color-coded receptacles, Grahf adds. “They’re asking for different colored receptacles for different areas of their buildings, such as kitchens and bathrooms.”

John Bowden, sales manager for Pacific Supply in Seattle, focuses his waste receptacle sales efforts largely on apartment buildings in his territory.

Fire codes in Seattle mandate metal receptacles for laundry rooms and common areas in apartment buildings. That’s a problem, he says. “Metal receptacles can get pricey. So probably 80 percent of the area apartment and property managers purchase galvanized garbage cans for about $20 each and secure the lids with chains on the handle. That’s OK with the code. They’re more concerned about price and not as concerned with appearance as are the office buildings, hospitals and schools that have larger budgets for them.”

Bowden prefers to make his sales contacts directly with apartment managers rather than property managers because the former recognizes the need for new containers when it’s brought to their attention that they’re needed. “The apartment manager will discuss it with the property manager and they’ll want to see their different options in catalogs. I’ll try to determine what they’re looking for. Do they want appearance? Color? Stainless steel? Aggregate materials? Then I’ll proceed from there, giving them price quotes,” he says.

Bowden reiterates that where apartment buildings are concerned, price sensitivity often prevails. “If a manufacturer could come up with a 20-gallon or more metal container with a detached lid at a price range of under $100, they could blow out this market.”

A No-Brainer? Not Always.
“When it comes to waste receptacles, our company doesn’t usually generate sales. We just react to requests and take orders,” says Fritz Gast, executive vice president and co-owner of P.B. Gast & Sons Co., Grand Rapids, Mich.

“Most distributor sales reps don’t actively look for waste receptacle sales opportunities unless they happen to be working with a manufacturer’s rep who sells these items,” he explains. “A typical jan/san distributor has got about 2,000 products that can be sold from inventory. Waste receptacles are, in part, a commodities-based business. [Customers have] gone to the ‘big box’ outlets like Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart and Home Depot, and frankly, they can sell more cheaply than most jan/san houses can buy.”

Gast says his company’s sales approaches to schools, factories, government buildings and sports stadiums are similar. Advice to customers, however, may differ depending on the customer’s particular circumstances.

“Graffiti can be a problem in elementary and high schools so we encourage them to purchase colors that can hide or minimize the writing. Selling to universities means we have to go first to the facility manager who gets to spec the receptacle before it goes to their purchasing department for the bid process.”

Like Grahf, Gast believes health care facilities are unique. “Hospitals and other health care organizations, however, have special needs and therefore we take an appropriate sales approach. They need special liners for hazardous waste materials and we educate them about these.”

Grahf’s company sells to many private schools in the Rockford area, as well as some local and county governments, some sports stadiums, and industrial organizations.

“Their respective requirements are almost identical, but school districts require liners with their names and other information printed on them. They want to identify the source, the materials in the liners, and when it was disposed of.”

For industrial customers, Grahf considers their ease of operation when recommending containers to their purchasing people. “A lot of manufacturing settings have receptacles sitting in aisles and next to work stations,” he says. “Some put trash can liners in them, some don’t. And the ones that do always use big ‘brute’ containers — either square or round in shape. Some even use big dump trucks. The maintenance men go around and pull the liners out of the receptacles, tie them up, and put them into the dump trucks. They normally use the most heavy-duty receptacles available.”

Whatever the industry he’s trying to sell to, Grahf urges his prospect to allow his salespeople to do a facility analysis via a walk-through. “We can best serve their needs by seeing and learning what their operation is and what their maintenance people or their cleaning contractors must do to empty their containers.”

Not knowing what kind of waste has been deposited in a receptacle causes problems for maintenance personnel. “There could be hazardous materials such as sharp objects, so gloves should be worn. But even gloves can’t protect against possible sharp, bloody objects,” Grahf says.

“The purchasing agent is interested in saving money, but the cost of the receptacle isn’t the only consideration. The safety and ease of use of the receptacle is also important. It’s time-consuming when you have to remove the top of a receptacle and pull out a liner, so it depends on what type of facility it is and what their needs are — that will determine what I’ll advise them to buy.”

Nothing Lasts Forever
However strong a waste receptacle is built, it can’t last forever. “They get worn out, and then organizations are ready for new ones,” Grahf says. “Sales personnel who go out to call on customers should always keep their eyes open to receptacles that are showing signs of wear. Containers with holes on the bottom, or sides that are falling in, or that are very soft will soon need replacing.

“The sales rep should explain to the customer that replacing a receptacle is inexpensive compared to the costs of problems caused by leaking receptacles,” he advises.

“Receptacles are a necessity. In order to sell them, find customers who have a demonstrable need.”

Jordan Fox is a Milwaukee-based freelance writer and editor.




POSTED ON: 2/1/2004